Device for retrieving golf balls



y 0, 1929. J. R. DU CHENE 1,722,519

DEVICE FOR RETRIEVING GOLF BALLS Filed Feb. '7, 1927 gl-wuenfoz Patented July 30, 1929.

it UNITED STATES PATENT 'bFFlCE.

.rosnrn n. DU GHENE, OF'DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

DEVICE roa RETRIEVING eons BALLS.

Application filed February 7, 1927, Serial No. 166,283.

in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my device. iltusgrating the application thereof to a golf Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modification of my device illustrating the application thereof to a golf ball.

I have shown a funnel shaped coil spring 10 having its small end 11 secured to the end of a shaft 12. The spring 10 is so coiled that the under side 13 thereof is shorter than the outer or upper side 14, thus distorting the funnel shaped coil so that the large open end thereofis in a plane obliquely opposed to the axis of the shaft 12 and thus in a position to readily receive an object such as a golf ball lying upon a substantially horizontal surface when the coil is attached to a shaft in the hand of a player.

The coil is wound tightly so that the succeeding strands thereof normally abut one another, with the exception of the last two strands 20 which are spaced from the preceding strands on the upper side of the coil 10 but which abut the preceding strands on the under side as at 21. The free end' portion 25 of the last strand of-the coil 10 is bent inwardly toward the center line of the coil, as shown in Fig. 2, and outwardly from the preceding strand asat 27in Fig. 1, and has a knob 26 formed on the extreme end thereof. The large portion of the coil 10 is slightly belled on the upper side 14: and is of a size .to

receive approximately one-half or slightly more of the golf ball 30, as shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a sheet metal member 40 in place of the coil member 10. Se-.

cured to the open end of the member 40 is a coiled wire 41 which hangs below the end of member 40 and has strands 20 spaced on its upper side and abutting on its under side as at 21. The free end portion 25 of coil 4:1 is of the same construction and design as that of the coil 10; the portion 25 is bent inwardly toward the center line of the coil as shown in Fig. 2, and outwardly from the preceding strand as shown in Fig. 3 and has a knob 26 formed on its end. The member 40 is secured to the shaft 12 by a pin 42 or other suitable means.

It is preferable but not necessary that the 0011 or sheet metal member be formed in the gourd like contour shown, in fact any member of a suitable size having'a pocket about which the coiled wire could be disposed to grasp the ball would serve the purpose.

The shaft 12 is preferablyof the approximate size of a golf club shaft and may if desired be telescopically extensible or provided with ]0l11t6d sections for shortening or lengthening it as desired, and designed to fit conveniently in a golf club bag, or it may be designed to be attached to a golf club shaft as an extension.

In operation, the coil 10 or member 40 is inserted into the water hazard by means of the shaft 12 and the large end thereof is brought to a position above the top of the golf ball 30 and pressed downwardlyupon it. The downwardly turned mouth of the coil 10 or member 40 will, direct the pres sure exerted upon the shaft downwardly against the ball and thereby prevent it from rolling along the bottom of the hazard and eluding the coil. Slight pressure upon the shaft will cause the end strand portion 25 of the coil to expand outwardly and permit the coil to slide over the upper portion the ball, and when the ball has entered the coil 10 or the member 40 as far as possible, the knobbed end 26 of the strand 25 will bear against the I irregularities in the surface of the ball and hold itin the coil 10 or member 40 while it is being lifted from the water. The spacing of the last two strands'2O of coil 10 or coil 9 41 provides a resilient contact when the coil 10 or member 40 is being placed over the ball and serves to oifset movement'of the operator which would push the ballalong the bottom of the hazard before the coil 10 or member 40 could be forced over it. This spacing also helps to' direct the mouth of the coil or sheet metal member downward and enables I a full half or slightly more of the ball to be nal strand at the larger end normally bent inbe made in the arrangement, combination, and construction of the various parts of my improved devicewithout departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims such changes as may be reasonably included within the scope thereof.

What I claim is: 1. A device of the class described comprising a funnel shaped Wire coil having a curved center line and having its larger end adapted to fit about a spherical object and retain itl 2. A device of the class describedcoinprising a funnel shaped wire coil having a curved center line and having a portion of its termiwardly of the preceding strands and toward said center line, whereby the end of said terminal strand will bear against an object inserted in said coil and retain the same therein.

3. A device of the class described comprising a funnel shaped wire coil having a portion of its terminal strand at the larger end normally bent inwardly of the preceding strands and toward the center line of said coil whereby the end of said terminal strand will bear against an object'inserted in said coil and retain the same therein.

4. A device of the class described comprising a funnel shaped coil having at least one strand at its larger end spaced from the preceding strands and having a portion of its terminal strand at said end normally bent-inwardly of the preceding strands and toward the center line of said coil whereby said spaced strand will cushion the insertion of an object within said coil and said inwardly bent terminal strand will bear against said object and retain the same within said coil.

5. A device of the class described comprising a funnel shaped coil having a curved center line, having at least one of the strands at its larger end spaced from the preceding strands throughout a part of its circumference, and having a portion of its terminal strand at said larger end normally bent in wardly of the preceding strands and toward the center line of said coil, whereby said spaced strand will cushion the insertion of an object within said coil and said inwardly bent terminal strand'will extend about and bear against; said object and retain the same within said cgil.

6. A device of the class described comprising a shaft, a funnel shaped coil spring having a curved center line secured to the end of said shaft, said coil spring having its larger end free and adapted under pressure to receive a golf ball and retain the same when said shaft and coil spring are lifted.

:7. A device of the class described comprising a shaft, a bell-shaped wire coil secured to said shaft at its smaller end, and having a terminal strand spaced from the preceding strands at its larger end tensioned to expand upon the insertion of an object into the large end of said coil and to bear against said object and retain it within said coil.

8. A device of the class described comprising a hollow part adapted to embrace a portion of a spherical QbJect, and a helical part positioned at and restricting the opening to said hollow part, said helical part being adapted to expand aboutand resiliently grip a spherical object engaged by said hollow part.

9. A device of the class described comprising a hollow part adapted to embrace a portion of a spherical object, and a helical part positionedat and restricting the opening to said hollow part, said helical part being adapted to expand about and hold said spherical object in engagement with said hollow part.

10. A device of the class described comprising a hollow part adapted to embrace a portion of a spherical ob ect, and a helical part positioned adjacent to and restricting the entrance to said hollow part, said helical part being expandible by the thrust of a spherical object entering said hollow part and adapted to retain said object in engagement with said hollow part.

JOSEPH R. DU CHENE. 

